Saturday, 31 December 2016

Usually when we think about the Beatles leaving messages that can be heard only if the track is played backwards we associate this to the Paul is Dead conspiracy, but it's not always the case.
That the Beatles played around placing reversed guitar solo in the songs as well as singing backwards like John did in Rain, it's not big news. We shouldn't be surprised that the boys used some of their studio time to go the extra mile and make some songs able to be listened at even backwards.

In this blog I will present a few song backmask that has nothing to do with Paul McCartney's death or satanism. Probably the boys were having a laugh at doing so and, if accidental, there is always the theory of the "subconscious backwards talking", but I won't talk about it, thou I suggest to look it up.
Of course it is required to have a bit of sense of humour to appreciate this blog and its content.

The backmasking behind the song "You Know my names (look up the number)", b-side of the single "Let it Be" is very interesting as it reflects the situation the Beatles were at the moment of the release; as John said: "Apple is losing money. If it carries on like this, we'll be broke in six months."
The motherfucker bit that you can hear sung by Paul could be easily referred to Allen Klein.
Also, there is the indisputable shouting of John Lennon pronouncing his name twice, that's very Lennonesque.

Although "You Know my name (look up the number)" was a song from 1968, in my opinion the messages are not accidental. They were appositely planted there.
To know more about the song, listen at this short podcast by Professor Moptop.

Another funny backmask is found in John Lennon's solo song "(Just like) Starting Over" where he sings about finishing the gazelle and not being able to sleep.

While a more sophisticated lyric can be heard when listening at George Harrison's "Blow Away" reversed. References to the Dark Horse can be metaphorically interpreted as galloping and singing of the artist in the message he left.

Words here and there can be found also in the other Harrison's song "Here Come the Moon".
Nothing revealing, still interesting (for some).

There are however a few intention backwards messages/singing.
One of course is the one on Rain that is nothing but the same chorus of the song. John sung it backwards ("stare her down and marry mock near with it") so that (if) reversed sounds like the chorus ("If the rain comes they run and hide their heads"), have a listen:

Another from John is the one in Meat City (1973)
There are actually two versions of this short message ... sped up and reversed message.
The one on the Walls and Bridges album is different from the single B-side of Mind games, have a listen:

While a very obscure one from Paul McCartney can be found on Don't Stop Running, thirteenth track from The Fireman album "Electric Arguments" (2008).
Click here for the forwards version : https://youtu.be/Gliv1h8WX0Q?t=10m19s

And this is the same audio played backwards. He says "Warmer than the sun, cooler than the air".

The Walrus is a character mentioned in many Beatles songs and later on Lennon's song "God", it was also brought back up in the 80s with George Harrison's video "When we were fab".
This video is a collection of references to the walrus in songs and interviews.

Introduction
When Lennon received a letter from his old school, the Quarry Bank High School, telling him that they were having a class based on the analysis of the Beatles' song lyrics, Lennon had the brilliant idea to write a completely nonsense song by using character from books he read and stories he imagined.
The Walrus was inspired by "The Walrus and the Carpenter" story from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass (one of John's favourite books).
"Walrus is just saying a dream", recalled John more than a decade after he composed it.
Same for the "Egg Man" whom has been interpreted as referring to Humpty Dumpty (from "Alice in Wonderland" books).
You can read a more accurate description on the Mental Floss' blog: http://mentalfloss.com/article/30523/who-was-walrus-analyzing-strangest-beatles-song

Also have a listen at this interview with Pete Shotton (John's best friend).

Who was the Walrus? Anomalies
Dr.Tomoculus made a fantastic job in spotting particular things that really raise some eyebrows when you ask yourself who's behind each mask.
A wrist-watch and a ring on Paul and Ringo seems to appear and disappear and being swapped between each other. Also you can note in a photo that Ringo seems to have no moustaches in his face ... Very interesting.http://drtomoculus.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-lord-of-pinkie-ring.html

John playing around (doing the walrus tail) and Paul wearing George's mask (or a similar one) on the set of the video.

There is also an alternated version of the music video of "I am the walrus" that was never officially published. Decisively an interesting version.

Friday, 30 December 2016

This post is about the clappers used on Beatles and ex-Beatles movies and music videos or interviews and VTR clocks used during their TV broadcast.

This is a project that took me a while before deciding to realized it and, as soon as I published it I found a lot of new material. Because I'm not planning to make an update any time soon I will share the clips not included in the main video one by one.
This is the main video.

Let's start with this photo of director Richard Lenster on the set of Help! Funny how he's using the clapper as a sort of pillow.

Somehow I missed this photo while editing the main video as this screenshot is taken from one of the version of Hello Goodbye I used.

And another frameshot from video I am the walrus outtakes.

The next is a clip from the Anthology.

And this other one is from the filming of "Free as a Bird".

Here also some more clappers from Strawberry Fields Forever

This one is taken from the videoclips of Buck Owens and Ringo Star

Ringo Starr again from the videoclip "Hey Baby" (1976)

George Harrison & Bob Dylan in concert.

The next clip is 5 minutes long, it is the sound-check of a concert in Sidney by Wings. it's all clappers.

There is also an audio clip of the take #27 of Let it Be. While the one on the main video is the take #23 from Savile Row, this one is from the Twickenham Session. You can hear the full track here: https://vid.me/h2dN

A nice photo Barbara Bach during the filming of Caveman in 1981, where just like George met and fell in love with Patty Boyd while filming A Hard Day's Night, Ringo met Barbara in the same way.

And to end this blog, here's a couple of VTR clocks.
In case if you wondering what VTR Clocks are used for, here's simple explication:
in order to allow a Microcomputer to place a countdown and indent clock on video productions the programme allows the user to type in the production details on the slate, and also to present some identification text in the space below the clock. The countdown may be started at any ten-second point, and the take number is incremented automatically. The screen can be arranged to fade to black automatically at the three-second point. http://radios-tv.co.uk/Pembers/Software/VTR-Clock/index.html

There is a specific blogspot created by Beatlesblogger called "Beatles with records" that cover this subject in details. This video was made in part with the help of this existing blogspot and in part with my own research. Beatlesblogger and I were both working independently on the same subject but, while I was saving onto my computer each photo I was finding myself, he was posting other in his page suggested by the members:https://beatlesblogger.com/2011/07/30/the-beatles-with-records/
When I contacted him to ask the permission to use some of his material he kindly agreed.
Click HERE to see the post about our collaboration (... the page is not updated).

So, here an animated presentation where the records shown on the photograph are visualized in their actual resemblance. There was a lot of editing behind this video.

By using some spared photos of celebrities holding Beatles records and Beatles-People/relatives with the album they designed etc. I put up this other video.
Anything Beatles-related is always a good subject to share !

A lot of artists mentioned John Lennon in their songs, some other dedicated a whole song to the Beatles.
Here is a sample of 250 songs with references to the fab four: from Christmas songs to hate songs, from tributes to a section fully dedicated to the Paul is Dead conspiracy.
Famous artists like Prince, Bob Dylan, The Monkees, David Bowie, The Clash, Rolling Stones, Oasis and international band, all singing about the Beatles.

If you fancy listening at the full tracks, here's a 14 hours long video.Scroll down for the track list.

PS:
I am planning to make a part 2 of this video as I keep on finding new
song, so, feel free to suggest any song unlisted in the video.

Nobody likes watching the commercials on TV ... except, in our case, we go crazy when we see any advert about the Beatles or any ex-beatle.
Here, for the first time ever all the Beatles and ex-Beatles advertisements from newspapers, radio and TV commercials dating from 1957 up to 2016.
I gathered most of these adverts in a 3 hours long video that covers all the years from the early posters and business cards in 1957 to the recent documentary Eight days a Week. A journey through vintage and modern adverts in chronological order (per year).

Most of these clips can be found on YouTube, but it will take took long
to search for each of them, also they can't be re-used as they are
copyrighted. This short video will explain why: https://youtu.be/KUe34-b40wg

Soon I will upload each single photo/scan used in this video along new ones.

For now I have made a page with all the advertisements from newspapers, magazines and billboards from the year 1990 to 2016